Wednesday's hockey: Hutson's four assists sparks U.S., Eiserman passes Kessel in goals

Team USA defenseman Cole Hutson had four assists to reach 100 career points in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Finland at the Five Nations Tournament at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.

Hutson, ranked 57th among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting midseason rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas, joins two other defensemen in the history of the National Team Development Program to reach the 100-point milestone.

J.D. Forrest had 111 points in three seasons from 1997-2000 and Cam York had 103 points from 2017-19, one more point than Hutson's 102 career points.

Hutson is the younger brother of Boston University's Lane Hutson, a second-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2022 and the second-highest scoring NCAA defenseman this year with 33 points in 24 games at Boston University.

Also Wednesday, Cole Eiserman moved past Phil Kessel for second place on the NTDP all-time goal-scoring list. Eiserman scored his 105th career goal and trails record-holder Cole Caulfield, who scored 126 goals in two years in Plymouth before scoring 70 goals with the Canadiens since 2021.

More:Sounds like Yzerman, but sniper Cole Eiserman making name for himself

Brodie Ziemer added two goals against Finland and goalie Nick Kempf made 24 saves for the U.S. (2-0), who will return to action Friday against Czechia.

Also Wednesday, L.J. Mooney had a hat trick for the U.S. at the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Ostrava, Czechia. Team USA beat Finland 8-4.

Canada 4, United States 2

Sault Ste. Marie's Abby Roque had an assist in the United States' 4-2 loss against Canada in the 2023-24 Rivalry Series on Wednesday at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Farmington's Megan Keller and Macomb's Taylor Girard were also in the lineup for the U.S., which leads 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. The next game is Friday at the Brandt Centre in Regina.

Wednesday's NHL games

(At) N.Y. Rangers 3, Tampa Bay 1: Jimmy Vesey scored twice and Jonathan Quick made 19 saves for the Rangers' third straight win.

Jonny Brodzinski also scored for the Rangers, who won for the second time in three days.

Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 21 saves. The Lightning had won three straight and eight of their previous nine.

The game was delayed at the seven-minute mark of the second when Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev had to leave the ice on a stretcher after his left leg bent at an awkward angle in a play along the boards in the Tampa Bay end. Sergachev had returned Wednesday after missing 17 games with a leg injury suffered in December.

Dallas 5, (at) Toronto 4: Mitch Marner and William Nylander scored 20 seconds apart midway through the third period, Auston Matthews had his NHL-leading 41st goal and Toronto beat Dallas.

Nylander had two goals and an assist, Matthews added an assist and John Tavares had a goal and two assists for the Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov made 27 saves. Toronto scored three times on the power play.

Evgeni Dadonov scored twice for Dallas, the second on a third-period penalty shot. Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston also scored. Scott Wedgewood made 26 saves with Jake Oettinger resting after a 2-1 victory in Buffalo on Tuesday night. The Stars had won four straight and seven of 10.

Minnesota 2, (at) Chicago 1: Marcus Foligno snapped a third-period tie and Filip Gustavsson made 20 saves, helping Minnesota beat Nick Foligno and Chicago.

Each of the Foligno brothers scored in the first game for the Central Division foes after the All-Star break, but Marcus Foligno’s ninth of the season lifted Minnesota to its 11th consecutive victory over Chicago. Petr Mrazek made 23 stops for Chicago in the opener of a five-game homestand.

Jacob Lucchini scored in the first for Minnesota, which had dropped two in a row.

Bruins' Poitras out for season

Boston Bruins rookie Matthew Poitras had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder on Wednesday, the team said.

General manager Don Sweeney said the team’s medical staff recommended the procedure rather than have Poitras continue to play with an unstable shoulder and risk further damage.

Team doctor Peter Asnis said the procedure was a success. Poitras is expected to need five months to recover.

A second-round pick in the 2022 draft, the 19-year-old Toronto native made the team out of training camp this year and had five goals and 10 assists in 33 games.

“Matt has been an important part of our team’s success thus far, and he will be missed,” Sweeney said. “Matt is just starting his Bruins career and is a key part of our future.”

Winter Classic back at Wrigley Field

The NHL Winter Classic is going back to Wrigley Field.

The league announced Wednesday night that the Chicago Blackhawks will host the St. Louis Blues at the iconic ballpark for the next edition of one of hockey's marquee events. The second Winter Classic was played at the home of baseball's Chicago Cubs on Jan. 1, 2009.

The date for the Blues-Blackhawks game was not announced. There are three College Football Playoff quarterfinals scheduled for Jan. 1, so the NHL could stage the event on another day in search of a bigger TV audience.

The Kraken beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in this year's Winter Classic at Seattle's T-Mobile Park.

Jets' Dillon suspended 3 games

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Noel Acciari, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday after a disciplinary hearing.

Dillon hit Acciari in the head with his left shoulder four minutes into the second period of the teams' game Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. Dillon was given a match penalty and ejected, while Acciari left the game because of an injury and did not return.

“He’s doing OK but being evaluated right now," coach Mike Sullivan said of Acciari after his team's 3-0 win. “Our major concern is Noel and his health.”

Dillion will forfeit $60,938 in salary and miss upcoming games at Philadelphia and at home against Pittsburgh and San Jose. It’s his second career suspension after getting one game for slashing in 2017 while with the Sharks.

Michigan-area hockey this week

Wednesday

▶ Five Nations: USA 5, Finland 2

Thursday

▶ Five Nations: Sweden vs. Switzerland, 3:30

▶ Five Nations: Czechia vs. Finland, 7

Friday

▶ Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7 (AHL/106.9/1300)

▶ Michigan State at Michigan, 7 (Big Ten)

▶ Five Nations: Switzerland vs. Finland, 3:30

▶ Five Nations: Czechia vs. USA, 7

▶ Western Michigan at Nebraska at Omaha, 7

▶ Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 7

▶ Bermidji State at Northern Michigan, 7

Saturday

▶ Canucks at Red Wings, 1 p.m. (BSD, 97.1)

▶ Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7 (AHL/106.9/1300)

▶ Michigan State vs. Michigan at LCA, 8:30 (Big Ten)

▶ Five Nations: Switzerland vs. Czechia, 3:30

▶ Five Nations: USA vs. Sweden, 7

▶ Western Michigan at Nebraska at Omaha, 6

▶ Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 5

Tuesday

▶ Five Nations: Sweden 6, Finland 5 (OT)

▶ Five Nations: USA 7, Switzerland 1